Mansfield, Texas----Wingate University sophomore Lindsey Taylor (Charlotte, N.C.) is the NCAA Division II national champion in the women’s one-meter diving event, held Friday night in the Mansfield ISD Natatorium. Taylor won her first national crown with 506.95 points. A four-time All-American, the Myers Park High School product finished fourth in the women’s three-meter diving competition Wednesday night.
 
Grand Valley State (Mich.) senior Karen Verbrugge finished second with 502.65 points. Wayne State (Mich.) junior Carly Sevald was third with 496.95 points. Sevald won the three-meter diving title Wednesday. Six of the eight divers in the one-meter finals also competed in the three-meter championship finals.
 
“Lindsey had to stick her final dive (a reverse 1.5 pike) to win the competition,” Wingate head coach Kirk Sanocki says. “She controlled her own destiny. Lindsey knew what she needed to do…and she executed her game plan.”
 
Taylor started diving full-time in May of 2009. “My wife (Suzie) coached Lindsey in gymnastics for many years…so her victory is special for me,” Sanocki says. “(Wingate diving coach) Anthony Crowder has done a phenomenal job helping Lindsey with her new dives.”
 
Sanocki says Taylor has struggled with reverse dives. “Lindsey will tell you she is not a fan of reverse dives,” Sanocki says. “During our Florida training trip, I had the opportunity to observe Anthony and Lindsey working hard on reverse dives. It is fitting she won the NCAA Division II national championship by nailing a reverse 1.5 pike (dive).”
 
The Wingate women broke another school record Friday night, as the Bulldogs posted two honorable mention All-American swims. Wingate junior Paige Schmidt (Clearwater, Fla.) finished 12th in the 500 Freestyle with a time of 4:58.02. In the morning preliminaries, the Bulldog distance phenom missed a spot in the championship finals by 0.58 seconds Friday morning. Schmidt broke her own school record Friday.
 
The Bulldog women’s 800 Freestyle Relay team recorded 13th place finish, giving the Wingate women two honorable mention All-American relay swims. In the timed final, Wingate posted a 7:41.96. The Bulldog 800 Free Relay team includes Schmidt, junior Elly Speer (Manly, Sydney, Australia) and sophomores Alex Andrechuk (Ajax, Ontario, Canada) and Cameron Washburn (Wilmington, N.C.).
 
Wingate is 18th on the team scoring charts with 64 points. Wayne State (Mich.) is first with 392 markers, followed by UC San Diego and Drury. The four-day meet concludes Saturday, with preliminaries in the morning and finals at night. Bulldog fans can watch free video, view live stats and re-visit meet highlights at this link:
 
http://www.ncaa.com/news/ncaa/article/2012-03-03/winter-championship-multimedia

The NCAA women’s swimming and diving web site can be found at this link:
 
http://www.ncaa.com/championships/swimming-women/d2
 
The NCAA men’s swimming and diving web site can be found at this link:
 
http://www.ncaa.com/championships/swimming-men/d2